


Gladiators of a Different Kind

by BunnyFair



Series: Adventures aboard the Nemesis [6]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Depression, F/M, Gladiators, Human/Transformer Relationships (Transformers), Implied/Referenced Suicide, Inspirational Speeches, Past Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Transformers Spark Bonds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:22:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25218454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunnyFair/pseuds/BunnyFair
Summary: Not all gladiators fought physical enemies. Some fought their own, mental battles. And those were the strongest of them all.
Relationships: Megatron (Transformers)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Adventures aboard the Nemesis [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1823524
Kudos: 22





	Gladiators of a Different Kind

Alice sat quietly on the edge of the walkway in the bridge, staring at the night sky. She hugged her knees, a fuzzy blanket around her shoulders. Her eyes were tinted red, her lip trembling ever so slightly.

Megatron stood beside her, his fingers laced behind his back. "I command you get out of this mood of yours."

She jolted slightly and took a deep breath, looking up at him. "I'm not someone you can command."

He raised an eyebrow and moved to sit beside her. "Do you wish to return to Optimus?"

She shook her head slightly, tugging the blanket around herself tightly. She focused back on the sky. "I don't wanna go to Optimus."

He tapped his fingers slowly on the walkway. "Is there a problem amongst the ever peaceful autobots?"

She curled her fingers in the blanket and sniffled softly. "No. Just me."

He nodded. Good, he wouldn't have to kill anyone then. "What's the matter, my darling little pet?"

She tucked her face down and sniffled again, her shoulders shaking slightly. He waited, his eyes focused on her as she tried to muffle her crying. After several, long, slow moments, he picked her up and opened his chest plate, exposing his spark chamber.

He slowly opened the chamber and held her close, the tendrils from his spark drifting out to brush against her. She sobbed softly and held onto his finger, curling up tighter. She clung to her blanket, feeling the soft energy tendrils brush against her.

She slowly calmed down after a while and looked up at him, the dark purple of his spark bathing her in a soft glow. His red eyes shined down at her, never wavering. She rubbed her eye and sniffled softly, gently rubbing his spark chamber.

He slowly pulled her away and closed the chamber, sliding and locking his chest plates into place. He held her in his hand and lifted her up to his face. "Tell me, what's on that mind of yours?"

She rubbed her eyes with her blanket and glanced up at him. "Am I broken?"

For the first time in a very long time, Megatron felt his spark stop. He softly growled, snapping, "Who told you such a thing?! Soundw - "

"No! No one... no one told me."

He frowned, silently comming Soundwave to remain on standby. "Why would you say such a thing?"

She looked down, looking at her open palms. "Because I am. I'm broken. My mother was an abusive bitch. She carried me for nine months and spend the next eighteen years taking it out on me! My first piece of shit boyfriend fucking raped me! He took that from me and then threatened me when I wanted to tell people! I fucking attempted suicide and my mother thought I was faking being sick! I actively tried to die and then woke up! I can't even die right! My brain's wrong! I can't be fixed, I'm autistic, I'm depressed, I'm pushed around, I'm weak, I'm in pain! I'm in pain which means I'm broken."

He stared silently as she broke down again, tears openly streaming down her cheeks. She wiped at them quickly and he breathed slowly, feeling rage build in his entire body. Except, he had no tangible reason to be angry. Other than the sobbing woman in his hand who just spilled her pain out to him.

He waited until she quieted down again and gently pressed a finger under her chin, forcing her to look up at him. "Alice. I want to tell you a story."

She rubbed at her eyes and nodded slightly, looking up at him.

He rubbed her back with his thumb and looked up at the stars. "I was a gladiator on Kaon. My life has always been one of fighting and spilling energon. Once, when I was young, I nearly died. My spark almost gave out, there was more energon on the ground than inside me. For a moment, I believed that I would die and join the All Spark. Soundwave found me instead. Despite my injuries, I still had to fight. I was the top gladiator and I had to keep my status through shedding energon."

He paused, looking down at her. She was looking up at him, sniffling softly occasionally, but fully focused on him.

He took a deep breath, focusing back on the stars. "I was, for all intents and purposes, broken. And, yet, I still fought. Alice, you are like I was then. You may be wounded and healing or gaining new wounds, but you still fight. You still pick up your sword and shield and fight to retain your status. You may be broken, but you are the strongest gladiator the world has ever seen. Even I am proud to have you as mine. Fighting against your enemy is easy, fighting against your own brain is hard. Your traumas will always haunt you and you still get out of bed and put on a smile. You still pull yourself up to fight every day, even if you are wounded, even if you are sick, even if your sword is broken and your shield shattered, you fight. You fight every day."

She nodded slowly, wiping away her tears. She swallowed thickly and softly said, "Thank you."

He nodded firmly. "Now, we are going to bed. Even the strongest of gladiators need sleep."

She nodded, curling up in his hand as he stood. She closed her eyes as he held her to his chest, her tiredness finally catching up to her.

She was the strongest gladiator.


End file.
